High prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among tuberculosis patients with and without HIV in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Authors: C. A. Blal, S. R. L. Passos, C. Horn, I. Georg, M. G. Bonecini-Almeida, V. C. Rolla, L. De Castro,

Publish Date: 2004/12/23

Volume: 24, Issue:1, Pages: 41-43

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Abstract

To determine the prevalence and exposure factors associated with hepatitis B infection in tuberculosis patients with and without HIV type 1 coinfection, the presence of hepatitis B virus serological markers was investigated in a retrospective study. The seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus in patients with tuberculosis only was 14.6%, and in tuberculosis patients coinfected with HIV it increased to 35.8%. In patients with HIV and tuberculosis coinfection, homosexuality constituted the principal exposure factor, while in tuberculosis patients without HIV, a gradual increase in hepatitis B virus seroprevalence was noted along with increasing age. The results demonstrate that hepatitis B infection is highly prevalent in tuberculosis patients in Brazil and suggest that a vaccination program for the general population should be considered in order to prevent further hepatitis B infections.We gratefully thank Dr. C.T.V. de Souza for collecting the patient data and Dr. V. de Souza Gouvea for her helpful suggestions regarding preparation of the manuscript. We also thank Dr. G.J. Nuovo (University Hospitals, Columbus, OH, USA) and Dr. J.L. Vandeberg (The Southwest National Primate Research Center, San Antonio, TX, USA) for English-language revision. The present study was partially supported by Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and complies with the current laws of Brazil

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